More Than an Ally

Michael Boucher in an assistant professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas A&M University - San Antonio. He completed his Ph.D. in 2013 in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in urban education from Indiana University. As a successful urban public school teacher, Michael taught social studies, served as department chair, and coordinated programs. He has taught middle school, high school, online courses, adult diploma, GED, and instructional methods. As a teacher-leader, Michael advocated for his students every day at school, but also in the press, the district, and the statehouse. Michael’s research examines the relationships of solidarity developed between successful White teachers and their students of color in de-facto segregated schools and explores researcher's responsibility to work in solidarity with participants during ethnographic research. Michael studies the interplay between race, power, and curriculum through his varied work exploring the racialization of historical understanding, the impact on White teacher candidates of student teaching experiences abroad, and a cultural studies critique of Ruby Payne’s, “Framework.”

Boucher engages race in a scholarly framework designed to guide educators through meaningful conversations with students across academic settings. Based on established theories such as critical race, critical whiteness, and multicultural understandings, this volume ushers educators through historical experiences of racial/ethnic minorities with emphasis on African Americans. In tandem with historical phenomena (e.g., slavery, disenfranchisement, discrimination), the author additionally offers insight into factors contributing to detrimental outcomes in the educational system as a result of unprepared educators (e.g., opportunity gap, educational debt, school-to-prison pipeline). Such points are addressed throughout the text. The book is well organized and supported by scholarly sources, and the epilogue successfully connects the significance of the discussion to the events of 2020. This study is notable for the author's perspective as a white, male educator. He emphasizes that the book is not intended to offer outsider commentary but rather to help white educators become meaningful, genuine allies of African American students. Considering the emergence of scholarly research and sources on the development of professional cultural competency, this text is a valuable contribution to the literature on educator preparation. Recommended.